Washing machine



March 23 1926.

, E. E. WILCKEN WASHING MACHINE Filed Jan. 12 4 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 March'2 3 1926. 7 E. E. WILCKEN WASHING MACHINE Filerji Jan. 12, 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 E (.Lz. .:::Z I

Patented Mar. 23, 1926.

unites STATES EVERETT n. WILCKEN, or ronic wrest, lamina.

wasnrive Machine.

Application filed January T0 aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EVERETT E. VILCKEN, a, citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Fort lVayne, in the county of Alien, Stateof Indiana, have invented a new and useful Washing Machine, of which the following is a full, clear, and comprehensive specification and exposition, being such as will enable others to make and use the same with exactitude. I

The obj ect ofmy present invention, broadly speaking, is to provide an electric operable washing machine of simple construction, which is positive in action and thorough in the accomplishment of the results for which it is intended, and whichcan be manufactured and sold at a comparatively low price. i r

The particular object of this invention is to incorporate into a washing machine a mechanical movement mechanism, whereby it will have two distinct movements at rightangles to each other, that is the agitator or head will have a horizontal right and left revolving motion, and at the same time a vertical up and down motio for the purposes which will be made clear in the 'following explanation of its operations.

Other miner and particular objects will suggest themselves in the course of the following description, and that which is new will be correlated in the appended claims.

The preferred way of carrying out the principles of my 'invention in a practical and mechanical manner is shown in the accompanying drawings, three sl'ieets, in which Figure 1 is a view of the lower portion of my machine, showing a side elevation of the operating mechanism. Figure 2 is substantially the same as Fig. 1, except that it is taken at right-angles thereto. Figure 3 is a detail of the shifting mechanism, Figures l, '5 and 6 are side elevation, bottom plan, and vertical section, respectively, of the agitator or head. Figure 7 is a top plan view of the operating mechanism. Figure 8 is a perspective view of the slotted plate and the guide 'or lifting plate, which plates are integral with each other. And Figure 9 is aface view of the main operating arm.

Similar indices denote like parts throughout the several views.

In order that the construction, the op; eration, and the several advantages of the invention may be more fully under- 1'2, 1925. Serial No. 2,047.

stood and appreciated, I will now take up a detailed description thereof, in which I will set forth the same "as comprehensively as I may.

In the drawings numeral 1 denotes the us rial tub. having a bottom 2, and a plurality of 'legso by which the tub elevated from the floor and by which it is supported in operative position.

Secured between the legs 3, and located below the bottom 2,'is a horizontal platform or shelf at for carrying the operating mechanism,- ashcreiiia'fter set forth.

Secured on the shelf 4 is an electric motor 5, and located at a distance therefrom but supported by said shelf is the grooved or channeled "fly-wheel 6, and the pulley *7 which iscarried bythe shaft of the motor is connected with the wheel 6 by the-belt 8. Said wheel 6, and the pinion 9 carried thereby, are mounted on the shaft 12, the latter being carried by the bracket 1-3 which in turn is carried by the shelf at. Secured to the hub of the wheel 6, and concentric therewith, is the sprocket pinion- 9. Located substantially midway between the pulley 7 and the sprocket-wheel 9, and also carried by said bracket or shelf l is the large sprocket wheel 10, which is in alinement with the pinion 9, and the pinion 9 and the wheel 10 are mounted on the shaft 14 carried by bracket 15, substantially as shown.

The main shaft, which extends vertically,

denoted by numeral 16.

Numeral 17 denotes a bearing in the bottom of the tub, and it has a flange 18 which "rests on the "bottom 2-, and it is secured there- 'to-. The shaft 16 is both revolvable and slid-able endwise in the bearing 17 And the shaft 16, the bearing 17, the flange 18, and the bottom 2, are all concentric with each other.

Numeral 19 denotes a disc, which is secured to the face of the wheel 10, concentric therewith, and having an arm '20 extending 'tliere'from, parallel with the face of the wheel 10, spaced therefrom, and. extending out even with the periphery thereof, as shown in Fig.

Extending out at right-angles from the outer portion of the arm 20, and secured therein, is the short shaft 21.

Numeralj22 denotes an apertured plate, hav ing a, slot 2'3 formed horizontally therein and longitudinally thereof, and through which passes the shaft 21 which operates therein. At right-angles to and integral with the plate 22 is the rack bearing plate 24, whose outer portion has an ape;ture 24 formed therem for the shaft 16 to fit therein, which latter is at right-angles to the shaft 21. Numeral 25 denotes the rack-bar, with teeth 26 formed vertically along the outer face thereof. Said teeth mesh with the teeth of the pinion 27, the latter being secured on the shaft 16.

Said rack-bar is adapted to slide on the sur ace of the plate 24 which acts as a guide and a support therfor.

In order to prevent the pinion 27 from slipping upward, a col ar 28 is rigidly secured around the shaft 16 adjoining the upper end of the pinion 27. Likewise to retain the plate 24 in contact with the underside of the pinion 27, a collar 29 is secured around the shaft 16 below said plate 24, as shown in Fig. 1.

The agitator, or head shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6, consists of a dome or half-spherical member 80, formed hollow, which is always inverted when in use, that is in the position as shown. At the apex a hub 31 is formed, through which the upper portion of the shaft 16 may slide. A lever-catch 32 is pivoted to the hub 81, and it has a tooth or prong which is adapted to enter either one of a plurality of sockets 33, which sockets are formed in the shaft 16, whereby the agitator may be secured detachably at various elevations, or it may be entirely removed by drawing it upward over the upper end of the shaft 16.

I have found it advantageous to provide a plurality of dolly-pins 34, which are secured to, or made integral with, the lower edge of the member 30, and they are all arranged horizontally as shown, that is with their inner ends projecting inward beyond the periphery of the member 30, and their outer ends radiatingoutward beyond the periphery of the member 30.

While the relative size of the agitator to other parts is immaterial for this description, yet it should be noticed that Figs. 4, 5 and 6 shows it on a very much reduced scale, as is evidenced by the comparative size of the shaft 16 shown in Fig. 4 with relation to the size of the same shaft in Fig. 2.

From the above it will be seen that when the motor is running the wheel 10 will travel continuously in one direction, carrying with it the arm 20, and therefore the shaft 21, the latter being carried bodily, but not endwise or revolvably.

By reason of the arrangement shown it is evident that the plate 22 and the arm 26 will be carried up and down, but by reason of the slot 23 in the plate 22 the shaft 21 is permitted to change from end to end of said slot, therefore it will be seen that while the shaft 21 is carried around in a circle yet the plate 22 is caused to move directly up and down.

The shaft 21 moving alternately from one end to the other of the slot 23 will carry with it the rack-bar 25, and as the teeth of said rack-bar are continuously 1n engagement with the pinion 27, therefore it is evident that this will eventuate in rotating the shaft 16, first in one direct-ion and then in the opposite direction. I

From the above it will be observed that while the motor and the wheel 10 are re volving continuously in one direction only, that there will be four distinct movements imparted to the shaft 16: Revolving it to the right; revolving it to the left; moving it directly upward; and moving it directly downward.

It will now be seen that the agitator, located in the tub, and being secured to the shaft 16, that all of said movements which are imparted to the shaft 16 will cause the agitator to have precisely the same movements as that of the shaft 16.

The extent of the movements made by the agitator are substantially as follows: For instance the length of the stroke of the agitator up and down will be equal to the diameter of the circle described by the shaft 21 when the wheel 10 makes a complete revolution. At the same time, the shaft 16, and therefore the agitator will make one complete revolution to the right and a complete revolution to the left while the shaft 21 travels from one end to the other of the slot 23 and then back to the starting point.

e now come to the crux of the whole matter, that is the utilization of said operations: l/Ve will now assume that the several parts are assembled as set forth. The proper amount of water is then placed in the tub and the goods to be washed are also placed therein and covering the agitator or head in the usual manner. The machine is then placed in operation, and the operation of the agitator will turn the goods rapidly to the right and left, at the same time lifting the goods up and then lowering them. lhlanifestly this movement will mix and agitate the goods, therefore more thoroughly and more quickly cleaning them than would be the case if they were turned only to the i right and the left.

In addition to the above it can be seen that the shape of the agitator is such that it will contain a comparatively large amount of air which can escape only downward around the periphery of the agitator. Therefore when the agitator is up it will fill with air and when it moves downward it will force the air into the goods, thereby aeriating them, as the downward movement of the agitator coming into cont-act with the goods and the water will tend to force air 'IJI out of the agitator into the surrounding water and goods thereby accomplishing the results desired in a minimum of time and with thoroughness, and with less danger of damage to the goods. If preferred the goods may be placed in the tub first, and the agitator placed thereon and secured to the shaft 16.

I desire that it be understood that various changes may be made in the several details of construction and in the relative location of parts, without departing from the spirit of the invention and without sacrificing any of the advantages thereof.

Having now fully shown and described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-- 1. A washing machine having in combination a tub, a motor connected with the tub, and a wheel adapted to be operated by the motor continuously in one direction; an

arm carried by said wheel, a short shaft carried bodily by said arm but without ro-- tary or endwise movements imparted thereto, a main shaft located vertically at right angles to said short shaft, a pinion securet on the main shaft, a rackbar carried by the outer end of the short shaft and in mesh with said pinion, a slotted plate located between said arm and rack with the short shaft slidable in the slot thereof, an arm extending from said slotted plate with the main shaft revolvable therein and adapted to be supported thereby.

2. In combination with a washing machine including a tub, a motor, a Wheel geared to be operated by the motor, an arm secured to said Wheel and carried around therewith, a short shaft located at right angles to and with one end secured in the outer portion if said arm, a main shaft located at right-angles to the short shaft and spaced therefrom, a pinion secured on the main shaft, a rack-bar carried by the outer end of the short shaft with the teeth thereof at all times in mesh with the said pinion, a slotted located between said arm and rack with the short shaft located in the slot thereof, an arm portion extending from said slotted plate with the main shaft supported thereby, and an agitator detachably secured to the upper portion. of the main shaft.

3. In combination with a washing may chine, a drive mechanism adapted to impart vertical translating motion simultaneously with oscillating horizontal motion and com prising a wheel adapted to be revolved by the motor continuously in one direction, a horizontal shaft on which the said Wheel is secured and carried thereby, an arm secured to the face of said wheel and extending at right angles to said shaft, a short shaft carried by the outer end of said arm and parallel with the first shaft, a main plate having a horizontal slot therein with said short shaft extending through said slot, a bearing plate extending from the main plate, a vertical shaft having its lower end mounted in the bearing plate, a pinion secured on the vertical shaft, a rack pivoted to the outer end of the short shaft and mesh ing with said pinion and insliding contact with said bearing plate.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name to this specification.

EVERETT E. VVILCKEN. 

